Hundred of thousands of pan-blue supporters yesterday took part in a series of nationwide marches and rallies organized by the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-People First Party (PFP) alliance against President Chen Shui-bian (
The event, which took place throughout the nation's 25 cities and counties, climaxed when the alliance's presidential candidate, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Lien said the move was meant to demonstrate his love for Taiwan.
Shortly before Lien's surprise prostration, PFP Chairman James Soong (
Locked in a neck-and-neck race against the incumbent president, the pan-blue camp's marches yesterday were largely interepreted as the final push ahead of next Saturday's election.
The event was also regarded as a move to counter the DPP, which had narrowed Lien's lead with a stunning turnout at the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally. At that rally, 2 million supporters formed a human chain across the nation on Feb. 28 to protest China's threats to Taiwan.
Prior to his kissing the ground, Lien called on the crowd to support his presidential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.
"Today we are gathered here with one appeal, which is to change the president and save Taiwan," the pan-blue presidential hopeful said. "In order to save Taiwan, we must stage a second transfer of power on March 20, the election day."
Lien said that he would not seek a second term in office should he win the upcoming presidential race.
Lien then branded Chen's proposed referendum, which is slated to be held alongside next Saturday's election, as "a mere drug aimed at anesthetizing the people and shifting their attention away from the DPP's poor performance."
Accusing the DPP administration of pushing the country into economic dire straits during its past four years in office, Lien pledged that his government would assemble a team of experts and professionals to "help lead Taiwan into economic prosperity."
"In comparison, the DPP administrative team is like a firefly while that of the KMT-PFP alliance is like the moon," Lien said.
Touching upon the issue on cross-strait affairs, Lien said that "the Republic of China is a sovereign state which we can not, and will not allow to be swallowed, merged or united with the People's Republic of China.
Saying that Taiwan would never negotiate under the military threats posed by China, Lien called on Beijing to remove its missiles targeted at Taiwan, adding that he wishes to reopen dialogue with China should he be elected on March 20.
Blue, white and red balloons were released in front of the Presidential Office amid an array of performances, including hip-hop dances, aboriginal performances and other entertaining spectacles of song and dance.
People in the crowd waved ROC flags and Lien-Soong campaign flags while others held up placards that read "Replace Chen Shui-bian" and "The President of Unemployment Must be Unseated."
Participants of all ages blew horns and whistles, while others beat pots and pans, shouting "Change the President, Save Taiwan"
Some pan-blue die-hards had even decorated their pets with ROC flags and Lien-Soong banners, while other pan-blue faithfuls wore red bands on either their head or around their arms with the words "try hard" written on them.
"We really have not been happy during the past four years of Chen Shui-bian's presidency," said a 40-something pan-blue supporter surnamed Wang, as he stood in the gathering at Ketagalan Boulevard with his wife.
"The pan-blue camp will surely win [the election] with the force of three parties," said the pan-blue faithful, referring to the KMT and its two splinter groups, the PFP and the New Party.
When the clock hit 3:20pm -- the number that coincided with the presidential election date of March 20, pan-blue supporters fervently waved flags and banners in the air and shouted the slogan "Change the President, Save Taiwan" while others blew horns and whistles, showing their desire to change the president.
The pan-blue alliance's spokesman, Alex Tsai (
Former premier Sun Yun-shuan (
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from